Visualizing the Java heap

Many of the problems that occur in long-running systems involve the way that the system uses memory. We have developed a framework for extracting and building a model of the heap from a running Java system. Such a model is only useful if programmers can extract from it the information they need to understand, find, and eventually fix memory-related problems in their system. We demonstrate the tool in action, showing how it works dynamically on running processes and how it is designed to address a variety of specific memory issues.